Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was the compact camera. This sprightly tale of curiosity and determination puts the spotlight on the inventive young man who made photographers of all of us, one improvement at a time.

On this date, September 4, in 1888, George Eastman registered the trademark Kodak. You can learn more here.

Playful, edge-to-edge illustrations and cheerily worded nuggets of history, mystery, physics, and biology paint a thrilling picture of a brilliantly curious and creative man that will tickle the scientist in all of us.

Quick! What’s used for communication, transportation, self defence, sound-dampening, warmth, entertainment and hatching and doesn’t cost a cent? If you didn’t say “bubbles” – and even if you did – you will be blown away (how could we resist?) by this beautifully illustrated and light hearted look at the ingenious uses of suds in the wild.

Gentle, realistic illustrations and intriguing text tell the true tale of an adorable stray dog that restored health to critically ill children in a London hospital and hope to those who cared for them.

You can take a closer look at our long awaited (and long resisted) new family member, Phaedra, here.

You can listen to our to vain attempt get our doggie dose through children’s books here.

HOTLINE VOICES: Katrina Morse of FamilyReading.com explains how one of her favourite books, the 1948 classic Blueberries for Sal (by Robert McCloskey), shows that children can have more common sense than grown-ups.